Head-to-head comparisons of medication uses, side effects, ratings, and more.

Lopressor (metoprolol tartrate) lowers high blood pressure, controls chest pain, and helps treat heart failure and heart attack. You need to take it with food and can't miss a dose.

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3.7/ 5 average rating with 464 reviewsforLopressor

Lowers blood pressure and controls heart rate.

Tenormin (atenolol) is good for controlling chest pain and treating a heart attack. It has fewer side effects than other beta blockers. You need to take it on an empty stomach and you can't skip doses.

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3.6/ 5 average rating with 457 reviewsforAtenolol

Upsides

A first-choice treatment to prevent chest pain (angina).

Makes pain episodes less frequent and makes it easier to be active without having chest pain.

A first-choice treatment for people who've had a heart attack.

Lopressor (metoprolol tartrate) lowers the risk of death during and after a heart attack.

Lopressor (metoprolol tartrate) is cheaper than the extended release version.

A first-choice treatment to prevent chest pain (angina).

A first-choice treatment for heart attack recovery.

At lower doses, Tenormin (atenolol) has fewer side effects than other beta blockers because it targets the heart and not other parts of the body.

Downsides

You need to take Lopressor (metoprolol tartrate) with food twice a day for it to work best.

Taking Lopressor (metoprolol tartrate) may make you feel more tired or out of breath during exercise or your normal daily routines. This gets better for most people, but for some it may not go away.

Not a first-choice treatment for high blood pressure, unless you have heart failure or heart disease. It can also be added to other medicines if your blood pressure is still too high.